The Key Differences Between Cloud Hosting and VPS Hosting

The Key Differences Between Cloud Hosting and VPS Hosting

Last updated on November 20, 2014

I have been asked recently by some customers to elaborate on the differences between Cloud Hosting and VPS Hosting. While some think virtual private servers and private cloud hosting are the same thing, they are not. These terms are not interchangeable. Yes, there are some frighteningly striking similarities, such as the fact that they both use virtualized technology and shared resources to lower the cost, but those similarties are where things end. I have put a few of the key differences between the two below. You can determine which option is right/best for you based upon these key differentiators.

Server Resources and Configuration

VPS hosting is normally a single physical server, split up between a limited number of customers. It is a similar configuration to a shared web hosting server, where many user accounts are located on the same server to use the shared resources. The main difference between these two server setups is that VPS accounts have fewer customers per server and the customers on that server have more control and features on their virtual environment. Software like vmware ESX/ESXi/vSphere, or Citrix Xenserver divides the users from each other, although you’re not entirely isolated from being affected by other people on your server. I love using an "apartment complex" analogy when talking about web hosting and the techology of shared resources, so imagine VPS hosting as nothing more than a normal apartment building with 10 aparments in it. Shared web hosting may be more along the lines of 100 smaller apartments in a separate building.

In contrast, cloud hosting uses distributed resources across multiple physical servers. Almost like having the ability to move your apartment from one physical building to another depending on the resources you're using. If you need more electricity in your apartment, you can immediately change and scale another apartment building with more power available. The redundancy in cloud hosting allows for a seamless transition to the other servers in a network in the event of a hardware failure or other issue. You see the resource as one server, but multiple systems are behind it providing resource scalability.

Scalability

Cloud hosting control panels, such as the one AIT uses for it's cloud hosting platform, are built with quick provisioning and deployment in mind. The process to get a new virtual server, database or other resource up and running typically takes only a few clicks through the administrative panel. A VPS requires you to upgrade your service manually, send in a support ticket to the provider, or call to get tech support to provide you with the resource needed, making a cloud hosting option more convenient in this regard.

Cost Structure

This differentiator isn't a huge one, but it is a key point to note in the discussion of cloud hosting and VPS hosting. While neither are very expensive, the cost structure is quite different. Most VPS hosting plans, such as the ones provided by AIT, are sold on a monthly basis only, much like any web hosting or dedicated server plan. Typically, cloud hosting offerings can be quite different because of the way that they are billed. AIT has provided hourly and monthly billing options for its cloud hosting offering, enabling developers to use a cloud server for only a few hours or days to do QA or testing, and thus not having to pay an entire month of services when they only use hours of it.